I’ve had the same challenge within the past several months with more than one client facing the same decorating dilemma.

Redesign or Staging, the issue seems to be the same…too much furniture.

Not that this is unusual in and of itself, but what is surprising is that these items were not “chosen” if you will, by the homeowners. They were cast-offs, discards, hand-me-downs, even trash to some. The overwhelming response to why they have these things that…

1. Don’t work in the decor.

2. Are too big for the space they occupy.

3. Have no purpose or redeeming value when closely scrutinized.

4. Are uncomfortable or just plain unfortunate looking.

5. Make absolutely no sense in the rest of the room’s decor.

Is that they were FREE!!! My first questions to them is, do you love it? Answer – No, but it was FREE!!! Now I understand when we are first starting out, free is a wonderful thing. In fact, I applaud (as well as have a business built around) things that don’t match, mix it up a little and help make them look great. But there is a line to be drawn here and just because it was FREE doesn’t mean that it works, looks great or fits the space it occupies! What needs to be done is some very serious inventory of the facts to see if these things are worthy of keeping, or better yet, let’s stop saying yes before they ever enter the space! By asking yourself some extremely tough questions, and answering honestly, you can break the “But it was FREE” habit and restore peace and harmony to your rooms.

1. Do I love it…free or not?

2. Am I considering it because I need it, or because it’s FREE?

3. Am I going to re-purpose it to give it new life making it a useful addition to my decor?

4. Is someone else’s need greater than mine? Can I suggest donating to a local charity to help those less fortunate?

5. Am I creating chaos and clutter in my environment by taking in all the FREE strays that people offer to me?

The things that surround you in your space should be things that give you comfort and peace of mind, memories with friends and family, joy of times spent in wonderful places. Revel in the dining room set handed down through the generations, or the end table you remember as a child, but be cautious of the pieces that enter your space without purpose or meaning, they will never truly have a home.